We are all lost sheep sometimes

Sometimes we simply get lost. We walk through life and we get lost. It isn’t anyone’s fault. Life is complicated. It has many turns and twists. They take us to places we thought we would never go. Once we wake up and realize we are lost, fear grips us. Fear tends to paralyze us.

Other times we are like sheep. Sheep are not the smartest creatures in the world. They are quite needy. They have a limited defense system. The weak tend to get eaten by the wolves. They cry a lot, looking for someone to rescue them. In the meantime, they eat the grass down to the roots and cannot sustain themselves. They have to always be on the move. They have ADD. They are easily distracted and have been known in their distraction to actually fall off a cliff. No wonder Jesus refers to us as sheep.

There are the other times we are defiant. We choose to do it as Frank Sinatra crones “I did it … my way.” Even when we get what we want it never satisfies and we want more. It is not just drugs that cause us to want more. It’s life. Seldom are we satisfied with our computers, cars, toys and anything else. We always not only want more, but we also want it better. Unfortunately, our self-imposed way leaves destruction in its wake. It affects our relationships. It may leave us living as pigs. It can be a literal pigsty or a spiritual one.

These are the three conditions of man Jesus describes in Luke 15 … lost, wandering and defiant.

Most of the Christian faith puts an emphasis on what we have to do. We have it backwards. The three stories revealing the default setting of man also reveals the nature of our Lord.

He seeks “diligently” for the lost coin. He leaves the flock to find the lost sheep. Not only does he bring it home, but he also puts us on his shoulders and carries us home. He looks for the return of the defiant son, runs to greet him, and restores him to his place in the family (all culturally unacceptable). It is the purpose of God through the work of Christ’s sacrifice and the breath of the Holy Spirit to grant grace to man. It is the work of God, which has an end result.

If we read the story we find that in each case there is a party. It is a party given by God for the redemption of his children.

Due to the redemptive work of Christ and not any requirement on our own, we are invited to the party. We are then true worshippers. Our faith is based on what Christ has done, is doing, and will do. Our lives are to be a response to continual renewing of our lost, wayward and defiant nature. Come on into the party. How? Jesus said to simply believe and confess. The rest will come as we discover more and more about the incredible love and grace of the Holy One.